Why You Shouldn't Rake Leaves

If fall has a sound, it's that of leaf blowers and rakes. One person who doesn't contribute to the chorus of leaf disposal is Elaine Silverstein of New Jersey. What does she know that others might not? Apparently there are lots of benefits to leaving the leaves where they fall. She told WCBS, "You never have to do anything to the soil." That's because leaves can act as a fertilizer. Inside Edition Digital’s Mara Montalbano has more.

[Hazelnut_Cookie]

I’ve been telling my parents this for years but they still make me do it

[fredblake]

It's a balancing act...leaving some leaves on the lawn adds nutrients to the soil, but leaving too many leaves will smother and kill the grass, especially after rainfall.

[LaineyBug]

Who would have thought Nature knew what it was doing all along...

[batman_overlord]

HOA: “Cool story bro but we already sent out letters.”

[joannemadden]

Also, you can hear if anyone is prowling around the house

[Celestial.Heather]

Ah, The joy of finding dog droppings in a yard covered in leaves- priceless.

[LoneStarRay]

Been a landscaper for 6 years. The only reason ppl rake their leaves is because they want their lawn to look good. In doing so its taking away valuable nutrients that the grass and tree could have. The leaves also hold moisture for the winter since it doesnt rain as often. A layer of leaves can keep thr ground moist all season.

[TheRealWattLife]

At this point, it's clear that most of the population has had their memory erased of any important information!

[P.]

Mowing over the leaves, I always thought it was a better idea rather than raking

[brittany]

Thank you for the information. I’m on 3.8 acres and right now I have more leaves than grass

[vulcan]

My mother loved having leaves in the yard. She would rake them up into a huge pile then jump into it.

[Radwar]

That's what I do every year, I scatter the leaves in my yard and then mow over them, it does wonders to your grass.

[Jettvikings]

This video convinced me to rake leafs right now.

[youngmasterzhi]

In our cottage, we sometimes burn the leaves and use the potash as fertilizer later

[FRDMUTANGBI_]

The background music sounds like Good Vibrations by Marky Mark

[DavidNightjet]

Thank you Inside Edition for justifying my laziness

[adrianqx]

HOA and Karens will never let hear the end of it

[rj-zzim]

I have always mulched my leaves with the mower.. Put them right back where they came from, same goes for grass clippings. It's free fertilizer that never leaches out.

[Lp-zetg]

I can't. My neighbour is going to complain that the leaves on my yard blown onto their yard period.

[Shiro_]

HOA: “That’s very interesting but, I don’t care and here’s your letter”